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This homemade marinara sauce is made ultra-simply from scratch with fresh tomatoes, garlic, and herbs. No cans here, just delicious, fresh from the garden tomato sauce! With hundreds of five-star reviews, you can be sure this homemade tomato sauce will be a hit!
save this recipe!If it’s the peak of summer, your garden is churning out more tomatoes than you know what to do with, and you’re hungry…I have two words for you: homemade marinara.
More specifically, a homemade marinara with fresh tomatoes (no canned tomatoes or tomato paste here)! Because summer is all about celebrating that garden-fresh produce, and this marinara is the perfect way to celebrate.
Reader rating
“This is THE marinara sauce! When it was finished cooking and cooled, I tasted it and could not believe how delicious! When one of my daughters arrived for dinner I asked her to taste it just to be sure. She did but said nothing. I asked if it was all right. She said she was just savoring the flavor and didn’t want to interrupt that. Other guests said it was the best marinara they had ever eaten.” —Claudette
Most recipes will have you blanch the tomato to remove the skin, but I find that it’s unnecessary and takes too much time (plus, the skin has insoluble fiber – double win). Let’s cook!
What’s the best texture for marinara?
This homemade marinara sauce recipe is naturally chunky, but you can easily make it into a smooth and silky marinara with a quick blitz in the blender. I prefer to use a handheld immersion blender to puree it right in the pot, but you could also transfer it (carefully – hot!) to a countertop blender.
- Keep it chunky for use with your favorite pasta (like these vegetarian stuffed shells)
- Blend it smooth for use as a dipping sauce (like with air fryer mozzarella sticks!)
Homemade Marinara Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil, 15 mL
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 5 fresh tomatoes, 1 to 1.5 lbs, diced
- 2 Tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp Italian parsley, flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp honey, 15 g
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Tomatoes: Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until soft and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and allow to simmer uncovered until tomatoes have mostly broken down, about 25 minutes. Stir often to prevent burning.
- Herbs: Stir in remaining ingredients. Continue simmering about 10 minutes.
- Serve: You can serve it like this or puree it in a food processor or blender for a smoother sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!Seasonal Tip
They say what grows together goes together, so why not use the fresh cucumber growing in your garden to make this easy tzatziki sauce? Serve it as a dip with veggies, as a side, or as an appetizer with this marinara!
Got fresh tomatoes?
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This was awesome! I doubled it and made it with my early girl and campari tomatoes from my garden. I usually have to tweak recipes but didn’t need a single tweak on this!
made this and loved it
So freaking delicious! Used tomatoes, garlic and basil from my garden. I didn’t have fresh parsley but used dried, and added sprigs of oregano since it’s growing in my garden as well. It is literally the best pasta sauce I have ever had! I am trying this on pizza tomorrow, yum yum!
I had never made spaghetti sauce before, my grandmother was full Italian though and marinara + noodles has very much been a big part of my life. Unfortunately it was intimidating for me to try and make it. I cook with my kids, each week we find new home made recipes to make and they get to pick. I suggested spaghetti sauce to my youngest (7) she sautéed the garlic, cut the tomatoes, simmered them and cooked it almost on her own (just a little help stirring and mincing garlic from me) and it was the most delicious thing I’ve ever eaten in my entire life. I have given up jar sauce, I seriously don’t want it ever again. We doubled the recipe and unfortunately had to substitute the fresh basil for dried (we lost the basil on the way home from the store, 7 year old thought sauce was ruined, it was an ordeal) but made and followed every other step according to the recipe. It’s amazing, seriously.
YAY! I’m so happy to read this, Sheila! 😀
This is THE marinara sauce! When it was finished cooking and cooled, I tasted it and could not believe how delicious! When one of my daughters arrived for dinner I asked her to taste it just to be sure. She did but said nothing. I asked if it was all right. She said she was just savoring the flavor and didn’t want to interrupt that. Together we decided to leave it chunky rather than purée. It was just right. Other guests said it was the best marinara they had ever eaten. I’m glad I doubled it! I served it as a side to a calzone. It was perfect!
YAY! So happy to hear it, Claudette! 😀
Can this recipe be canned? Or, have you canned it before? What were the results?
I have not canned this one before, but presume it could be done! 😀
I freeze my homemade “gravy “ in 12 oz mason jars and also add 1/2 cup red lentils per batch. They add a little body and extra nutrition but no perceptible taste.
If you’re canning this recipe, you must not use honey! Make sure to use maple syrup or another sweetener if you plan to can it.
Thank you so much for the tip, Michelle!
So tasty. I used the sauce on flat bread. Yummy
I have made this as written but this time I added fresh rosemary from my garden and oregano. Delicious! Thank you so much for posting it. I have 6 tomato plants and was trying to figure out what to do with the crop.
This is the best pasta sauce I’ve ever tasted. I cannot believe that I made it myself with extra tomatoes from my garden!! I served it over peppardelle pasta from Trader Joe’s and added fresh grated pecorino romano cheese on top. Heaven!
WOW! I’ve made a lot of spaghetti sauce and this one was amazing! I used fresh tomatoes and basil from the garden and honey from the grocery store. I would recommend!